Residents Worry Over Road Work

With 200,000 cars expected to be crossing Interstate 95 at Davie Boulevard by the year 1990, neighborhood residents are bracing themselves for as yet unknown changes.

The increased traffic at the I-95/Davie Boulevard intersection in Fort Lauderdale is expected to result from construction of Interstate 595, a $1.2 billion thoroughfare that will connect to I-95 just south of Davie Boulevard.

``The total I-595 project will affect all of us who live in this area,`` Joe Wilson, president of the Riverside Park Residents Association, said of his neighborhood and residents of Shady Banks.

For now, residents of the two neighborhoods, both are located east of I-95 with Riverside Park to the north and Shady Banks to the south of Davie Boulevard, can only concern themselves with the proposed changes to that intersection.

In the neighborhoods, often perceived as crime-ridden and rundown, Wilson said some residents are ``disturbed at the possibility (of change) and at the same time hoping for improvements to the intersection that will eliminate congestion and cut down traffic that comes through the neighborhood.``

Ginnee Hope, president of the Shady Banks Civic Association, said, ``I`m not sure that we know what the right thing to do is.``

She said she hopes the changes will improve the traffic flow in her neighborhood but is concerned about aesthetics.

``It`s hard to imagine a flyover (Davie Boulevard passing over I-95) that is attractive if you look at Sunrise and Broward boulevards,`` Hope said.

The flyover question is one of many that concerns residents in the battle over interchange improvements.

Should Davie Boulevard be lifted over I-95, as are Sunrise and Broward boulevards, or should it continue its present path under I-95?

At Davie Boulevard, I-95 will be widened from three to four lanes, according to Seyed Safavian, Fort Lauderdale city traffic engineer.

Six options for widening the interstate were suggested by consultants on the project.

Fort Lauderdale city commissioners voted this month to recommend that the state Department of Transportation choose the so-called ``western alignment Davie flyover`` option.

That plan calls for Davie Boulevard to be rebuilt from Southwest 25th Avenue to Southwest 17th Avenue and extend over I-95, Safavian said.

In turn, I-95 would be extended west to the Seaboard System Railroad tracks. Land to the east would not be affected, he said.

The extension is projected to cost $59.2 million and mean the elimination of 27 homes and 67 businesses in the two neighborhoods.

Safavian said the project would be federally funded if that option is chosen.

He added that the state would pay about $10.2 million for improvements to the interchange and adjacent streets over the next 20 years.

A disadvantage to the western alignment flyover option would be decreased visibility along Davie Boulevard between Southwest 18th and Southwest 23rd avenues, Safavian said.